Richard Weller

Professor of Medical Dermatology, University of Edinburgh

[Matthew Zirwas, MD @MattZirwas]

So, I opened my email today and found out from the American Academy of Dermatology member email that USA Today ran AAD's Practice Safe Sun survey.

The same day I posted about how dermatology is killing people and had it go viral, closing in on a million views.

Talk about a lucky coincidence. Honestly. It's not like the AAD keeps me informed about their PR schedule.

The headline finding: 16 million Americans have reduced sunscreen use because of online "misinformation."

Based on timing, they obviously weren't talking about my post specifically, but given the "there is no such thing as a safe tan" quote in the article, I'll bet they'd call it misinformation, even though I'm not anti-sunscreen.

Man I hope @aadskin or @aadmember engages.

It'd make them engage with the peer-reviewed evidence base that sun avoidance increases mortality:
-MISS cohort, 29,500 Swedish women, 25 years. Lowest sun exposure had mortality comparable to smokers.
-UK Biobank, ~400,000 participants. Highest UV exposure had 19% lower cardiovascular mortality, 15% lower all-cause mortality.
-Korean NBUVB study, 12,000 vitiligo patients. 100+ clinic phototherapy sessions associated with 36% fewer cardiovascular events.

The AAD is worried "misinformation" is causing people to wear less sunscreen.

I'm worried the AAD is killing people.

[Rowan Jacobsen @rowanjacobsen]

Thank you, @PublishersWkly for highlighting IN DEFENSE OF SUNLIGHT in your new "What We're Reading" picks. Book comes out in June, buzz is great, pre-order now to ensure you get a copy of the first printing.
https://t.co/V2JoS1O3la

[Matthew Zirwas, MD @MattZirwas]

Dermatology is wrong about the sun.

And it's killing people.

I'm a dermatologist. 226 publications. I should know.

Avoiding the sun increases the risk of dying as much as being a smoker.

We can fix it.

For decades, dermatology's message has been simple: avoid the sun. Wear sunscreen. Seek shade. UV causes skin cancer. End of discussion.

That message is incomplete and outdated.

People are dying because of it. Lots of people.

The evidence has gotten strong enough that the field needs to update it.🧵

[Richard Weller @WellerRichard]

More Sun Exposure Is Associated With a Longer Life https://t.co/ACkqZzVZMV via @YouTube

[Richard Weller @WellerRichard]

Great to see this excellent documentary on my research broadcast https://t.co/0aNZbXCiwq

[Roger Seheult, MD @RogerSeheult]

🚨🚨🚨
I sat down with @StevenBartlett on The Diary of a CEO and talked about EVERYTHING on the second most watched podcast in the world!
https://t.co/vldtOeAiCv

[Richard Weller @WellerRichard]

https://t.co/CDWjLGDtBO

[Roger Seheult, MD @RogerSeheult]

Dr. Richard Weller, UK dermatologist, and author of the recent article published advocating a rethink of sunlight here:
https://t.co/XBUxixXgOC
also appeared on the People's Pharmacy talking about US dermatologists. It's a good listen:
https://t.co/TNYhdVnf9f

[Ade Adamson, MD MPP @AdeAdamson]

Its wild that more than 3 years on, some dermatologists are still upset/concerned with our melanoma overdiagnosis paper. Its telling not a single cogent response has been mounted. Overdiagnosis is clearly happening, ignoring it doesn't make it go away.

[Andrew Stevenson @AndrStevenson]

Our new study suggests that the benefits of higher UV exposure outweigh the risks in low light environments like the UK. We used geographic and behavioural UV estimates, validated by vitamin D serum levels and a negative control outcome to test this Q.

https://t.co/F50FUSJ84X

[Richard Weller @WellerRichard]

one geographical and one behavioural. Whichever way you look at it, Britons who get more sun exposure are healthier and live longer, through reduced heart disease but also through reduced overall cancer mortality. Do read the paper-it is open access

[Richard Weller @WellerRichard]

Pleased to see this paper of ours now published https://t.co/5BKeeasMMr and even better, an article in the The Economist describing our findings. https://t.co/kljNocUgLM
Broadly we studied participants in the UK Biobank with two independent measures of sunlight exposure-

[Richard Weller @WellerRichard]

@dmrind @AdeAdamson Indeed- but can we stop shift the balance of research from overwhelmingly on mechanisms of harm and start thinking about the beneficial effects. And that doesn’t stop with Vitamin D!

[Ade Adamson, MD MPP @AdeAdamson]

Interesting research by @WellerRichard and others using UK Biobank. UV exposure associated with LOWER all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Manuscript here: https://t.co/HnWANErkgL

[Richard Weller @WellerRichard]

@Dermin_ @AdeAdamson @Dermin_ read the paper- it’s open access. We corrected extensively for confounders such as income, underlying health status, deprivation, exercise etc. our findings are of the UK population so may not apply in sunnier countries

[Cristian Navarrete-Dechent, MD @DrCristianMD]

@AdeAdamson @WellerRichard Great post. @WellerRichard also just published a great review that explores the topic in detail
https://t.co/JtyUcIVoU0

[Richard Weller @WellerRichard]

@drg1985 @experimentbooks David- sunlight has significant vitamin D independent health benefits. Check out my current review https://t.co/GhR2dGJYdE or this from @rowanjacobsen https://t.co/1frGQanHvQ

[Richard Weller @WellerRichard]

@timspector I fully agree that we have overdemonised sun but am not convinced that Vit D accounts for many benefits in man. Good summary by @rowanjacobsen here https://t.co/1frGQanHvQ